Sweet as: Manuka honey producers win trans-Tasman tussle
Australian honey producers haveĀ welcomed a New Zealand trademark win that will allowĀ them to continue to use the name manuka honey.
New Zealand producers had been trying since 2015 to stop any other country from using the word manuka, claiming itās a Maori word and the product is distinctive to New Zealand.
But in a 171-page ruling released on Monday the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) found manuka honey was a descriptive term and the application failed to meet trademark requirements.
The office described the case asĀ a ātrans-Tasman tussle of extraordinary proportionsā, andĀ āone of the most complex and long runningā to have come before it.
The Manuka Honey Appellation society had wanted New Zealand producers to gain exclusive use of the word manuka, but the judgement found theĀ word had also been used in the English language in both New Zealand and Australia.
The manukaĀ plant is also native to both countries.
You might like
But while the application to trademark the name failed, the ruling by New Zealandās assistant commissioner for trademarks said there was considerable sympathy for the applicant theĀ Manuka Honey Appellation societyĀ and its members.
āIn large part, this is because of the cultural significance of manuka honey, andĀ because there does not appear to have been widespread use of the term āmanukaĀ honeyā by Australian honey producers until the New Zealand trade in manukaĀ honey took off,ā the ruling said.
The Australian Manuka Honey Association who had fought the application has welcomed the judgement saying the āsensibleĀ decision paves the way to accelerate global salesā.
āItās been many, many years since weāve been fighting this certification trademark issue and to have a win in New Zealand is particularly gratifying,āĀ Paul Callander from the association told AAP.
Stay informed, daily
āTheyāve (IPONZ) stuck with the law and agreed with the rest of the world that we rightfully are allowed to use the term manuka ā¦ Itās a big decision for us,ā he said.
In 2021 the UK Intellectual Property Office, rejected a bid by the Manuka Honey Appellation Society for exclusive use of the manuka name.
It would have stopped Australian producers using the word āmanukaā when exporting their product to the UK and Europe.
TheĀ Manuka Charitable Trust which fights to protect Maori rights, said it was disappointed but undeterred by the ruling.
āWe remain resolute in protecting our reo Maori (language) and the precious taonga (treasure) and todayās ruling in no way deters us,ā said the trustās Pita Tipene.
āIt has made us more determined to protect what is ours on behalf of all New Zealanders and consumers who value authenticity.ā
āWe have solidarity as we seek to protect what is a precious taonga and will continue to protect what is ours,ā he added.
The international manuka honey market is forecast to be worth around $1.27 billion in annual trade by 2027.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
